This invention relates to firearms and is more particularly directed to a chamber alignment and safety system for such equipment.
Conventional firearms, such as shotguns, may break for loading and unloading by pivoting the barrel downwardly relative to the bolt housing, thereby exposing the chamber. In the present invention, a slide mechanism connecting the barrel and bolt housing is provided and the barrel may be moved axially a short distance away from the bolt housing and twisted out of its normal plane to expose the chamber for loading and unloading. In other loading systems, cartridges may be automatically moved into the bore by spring or other action, but the size of the cartridge or its holding member is a limiting factor in such a system, and such an automatic system normally can not be used where separate chambers and firing means are employed. In the loading system embodying the present invention, the firearm may be loaded and unloaded conveniently in minimum space, while the prior art shotgun-type loading system requires space for the barrel to swing downwardly, and usually must be loaded when the user is in a standing position.
Conventionally, firearms have a safety system which disengages the trigger, locks the bolt or locks the firing pin mechanism, but sometimes, particularly during loading or unloading, the safety is unintentionally moved or the parts intended to be locked go out of locked alignment, permitting the safety to become ineffective or unlocked, thus allowing unintended discharge of the gun. In the present invention, the safety is positively locked, not only by withdrawing the bolt assembly from the firing position and withdrawing the firing pin from the firing position, but also by disengaging the trigger sear from its triggering train. Furthermore, the location and structure of the novel safety mechanism is on the side wall of the bolt housing above the trigger and its positive connection to the bolt and trigger sear through a gear and rack formed on the bolt extension, which is released when in firing position, prevents unintended disengagement of the safety mechanism or disengagement due to misalignment of parts.
Conventionally, the face of the bolt has a depression at the chamber designed to accommodate the cap primer end of a cartridge or shell, and normally, the firing pin is intended by spring action to contact the primer cap through the bolt face. However, where the firing pin bolt face or chamber becomes out of line due to wear, or inaccuracy of manufacture, or there is a variance in the position of the primer cap of the ammunition used, a misfire may result and the necessary firing contact of the firing pin on the ammunition primer cap may not occur. In the present invention, the front portion of a conventional bolt or breech-block is removed and a novel spring loaded bolt face, through which the firing pin travels, is employed. This spring loaded bolt face has a large spring, one end of which bears against the bolt block and the other end of which bears against the rear side of the novel bolt face, and the spring is constructed to permit the firing pin and any of its auxiliary structure to pass axially through the bolt face spring and bolt face. The other face of the bolt face or head space device has a depression for receiving the primer end of the ammunition, and this device applies constant spring pressure on a cartridge in the chamber to maintain it centered and held in place in the chamber relative to the firing pin. This novel bolt face device is contained in the bolt housing.